Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1887-04-07
THE WITH ESS.

During the month of February, 1853 Seth
Damon, of Acton, instituted an action ut
law against Gabriel Butterworth, of the same
town, for the recovery Of $50, 600 of which he
claimed thar said Butterworth had dctrauded
him The circumstances were these:
Butterworth owned and kept the principal
store in Acton, and though he had never been
regarded as an exemplary gcntlcman, his
honor in business had not been inpugned
Those who had the faculty of looking upon
the undcrCurrcntS of human actions decided
that he was man not bound by honor, but
who understood the laws of self interest too
well 80 be guilty of small meannesscs III buSl-
ness. What he was capable of doing on
grand scale was not mootcl until the occur
renee of which am about to speak.
Seth Damon had removed from Edison to
Acton in the fall and had purchased the iron
works Shortly after concluding the pur-
chase, he had payment of S3o,ooD to make,
and late on II Saturday afternoon he arrived
from New York with the money, part of 1T
i'll bank notes, and part of it in gold. When
he arrived he found that the parties to whom
the money was to he paid had left town, and
would not return TIL Monday. Mr.. Butter
worth had the only reliable safety vault IN
town, and to him Damon took the 100000,
asking permission to lodge it i'll his vault over
the sabbath, which permission was readily
and chcerfully granted.
During Sunday night the people of the vii
laGe were aroused by the alarm of fire; and,
upon starting out, it was found that the
alarm came from ButtrrwurthS store, but
Mr. Butterworth had been active. He had
discovered the fire in season. and, with the
assistance of his BOYS, had put is out before
much damage had been done. Upon looking
over the premises it was found that III" fire
had not only been the work of an incoudiary,
but that it had been set in several different
places.
How fortunate" said the owner, shat l
discovered it in sca~nn."
But very soon another discovery was made.
The safety vault had been broken open and
every dollar it had contained stolen! Here
was alarm and CONSERVATION. Gabriel But
terworth seemed fit to 20 crazy.
"For myself | care not he cried "a few
hundreds were all | had in there; but my
friend had Il great sum-
Immediately search for the rohhcr or rob
bers was instituted, and word was sent far
and near to all shcritTS and their deputies,
and to the police of the cities.
Now it had 50 happened that on that very
Sunday evening, or, may say, Sunday night,
l. John Watson, had been returning from my
brothers. in DunStahle. had left my hired
team at the stable, and on my way to my
boarding house | passed the store of Mr.. But
terwUllh. In the back yard of the store was
ii horse trough, and. being thirsty, | stepped
around that way to get a drarght of water
As stopped to drink at the spout Of the foun-
tain l saw q CLEAN of light through a crevicc
in the shutters of one of the store windows
Curiosity impcllrd me to go and peer throuGh;
for wondered who could be in there at that
hour of Sunday night The crevice was
quite large, made by q wearing away of tho
edges of the shutters where they had been
caught hv the hooks That held them back
when open, and through it looked into the
store. | looked upon the wall within which
the safety vault was built, and | saw the
vault open, and | saw Gabriel Buttcrworth
at work therein. l saw him put large pack
ages into his breast pocket and saw him
bring out two three small canvas bags,
and set them on the floor by the door that
opened toward his dwelling, As saw him
approachng this outer door q second time
thought he might come out, and went away.
1t was al hos. afterward that heard the
alarm of fire. And it was not until the fol
lowing morning that heard of the robbery
of the safe.
was placed in n critical position, but I had
n duty to perform. | went to Mr.. Damon,
and told him what | had seen; and also gave
him liberty to call upon me for my testimony
in public when he should need it. Until |
should be called upon was to holdmy silence.
While the officers were hunting hither and
thithcr Mr.. Damon kept a strict watch upon
the movements of Mr.. Buttcrworth, and at
length detected him in the act of dcpoSiting n
large sum of money in bank in Buffalo
Buttcrworth was then arrested
This is the way matters stood when ! was
summoned to appear before the grand juryat
WiitUnlurg. | went there in company with
Mr. Damon, and secured lodgings at the
Sabine house. 1t was n small inn, well and
comfortably kept, and frc!uentca by patrons
of moderate means. There We're two public
houses of more fashionable professions in the
place.
1t was on the afternoon of Monday, Feb
Il, that took quarters at the Sabine house,
and after tea ! requested the landlord TO build
n fire in my room, which he did; and he also
furnished me with n good lamp 1t was s
o'clock, and | sat at the table engaged in
reading, when some one raped at my door.
said, "Come ill.," and a young man named
Lalan Shaw, entered, bringing his carpet
bag in his hand. This Shaw l had known
very well as u clerk of Gabriel Butterworth,
but had never been intimate with him from
the fact that had never liked him. He must
have seen the look of displeasure upon my
face, for lie quickly said:
Pardon me, Mr.. Watson, don't mean to
intrude | have come down to be present at
the examination o-morrow-sumnloncd by
Buttcrworths man, of course-;nd got here
too late to get room with stove in it; and,
worse still, muse take II room with another
bed in it, and with stranger for company.
And so, may just warm my fingers and
toes by your fire and leave my carpet bag
under your bed
He laughed when he spoke of the carpet
bag; but vet he did not know what sort of
faculty his stranger room mate might have
f)r getting up and walking Off in the night.
OF course | granted him his request, aud
b put his carpet bag under my bed and then